Israel Is Helping Hamas

One cannot stir a hornet's nest and claim self-defense when the hornets start biting. This is how the latest round of fighting between Israel and Hamas commenced.

Despite knowing that the Hamas leadership had not ordered the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teens, the Israeli government launched a sweeping crackdown on Hamas charities and politicians in the West Bank, arresting hundreds and placing them under administrative detention.

After years of isolation and growing unpopularity among Gazans, Hamas can again claim to be the defenders against Israeli aggression.

When militant groups fired rockets from Gaza, Israel began Operation Protective Edge, even though no Israelis had been harmed by the missiles.

Israel’s massive bombardment of Gaza from the air, sea and ground has resulted in over 500 Palestinian deaths, most of them civilians.

Israel can continue blaming Hamas for all the deaths in Gaza by asserting it has used Palestinians as human shields. These arguments can persuade only those who are unfamiliar with Gaza’s extreme population density or those who want to cling to the idea that Israel’s army is the most moral in the world, as its leaders often say.

But Israeli actions only help Hamas. After a long period of international isolation and growing unpopularity among Gazans, Hamas can again reclaim the mantle of being defenders of the Palestinian people against Israeli aggression. This operation is also creating a new pool of militant recruits – people who feel they have nothing to lose after their homes, families and livelihoods have been devastated.

Instead of continuing to do everything in its power to derail the Palestinian unity government, Israel should begin earnestly negotiating with it to end the blockade of the tiny Gaza Strip and the occupation of the West Bank.